Reunited
by volleychick08
Summary: First part to the sequel of No Regrets! Two years since Heero's death, and Relena's life carries on...Hope everyone likes it. ^.~ RXH and angst to come.
1. Default Chapter Title

Reunited, part 1/2  
By: volleychick08  
  
Alright, here's the sequel to my fic, No Regrets. I've been working hard on this, so please review and tell me what you thought...I'd really appreciate it. Oh yeah, and I'm sorry if it's kinda long...but I separated it into two parts, so maybe that'll help. Thanx and enjoy! ^.~  
  
Disclaimers: don't own 'em. k?  
  
  
~*~  
  
Relena felt his arms wrap around her from behind. 'Heero...' She turned her head to see him. He still had the same Prussian blue eyes, as deep as the ocean. She was afraid for a moment that she would be forever lost in their emotion. She smiled and looked back in front of her...at the moon shining brightly in the velvet sky.   
  
They stood on her balcony, like so many nights before. She treasured these moments with him, when they stood there; then he was more than just a memory. He was real flesh and blood, his warmth flowing through her like electricity. She leaned her head back onto his strong chest and sighed, closing her eyes. A peaceful smile crossed her lips.  
  
~*~  
  
Pagan knocked softly on the door several times before cautiously opening it a crack. Just as he expected, Relena was still asleep. He was about to call her name and wake her, but he stopped. She had the most peaceful expression upon her angelic face; he had not seen her smile that genuinely in too long. It was quite a change from the usual courteous, plastered-on smile that she used with other diplomats.  
  
Pagan sighed. Whatever she was dreaming, if it could make her that peaceful, deserved to continue. She needed all the pleasantness she could get; he wasn't about to let her become too absorbed in political duties. At barely eighteen, she was too young for all that pressure. And besides, she could use some extra sleep after the hectic schedule she'd been keeping lately.  
  
He closed the door with a soft click and strode back down the hall to re-schedule the early meeting she would miss.  
  
~*~  
  
Relena's eyes fluttered open. She was greeted by the sunlight shining through the French doors that led to her balcony. The rays penetrated her whole room, splashing her bed with warmth.   
  
She smiled slightly, still grasping onto the dream that hadn't quite faded yet. She could still feel his arms around her...just like he was lying next to her. She basked in what that feeling might have been like in reality. Then she sighed, stretching tiredly.   
  
She lay there in complete peace for around five seconds, before sitting bolt upright. 'The meeting!' She thought with a groan as she sprang from her bed. Still in her nightclothes, she burst from her room in a run.   
  
At the top of the grand central staircase, she all but sprinted to the railing and looked over. Sure enough, she spotted Pagan seated in a chair by the large windows, reading the morning newspaper. Why hadn't he woken her? She had to be late for the meeting on colony L2 by now. She should've been up hours ago.   
  
"Pagan!" She yelled across the enormous high-ceilinged entryway. He looked up in surprise from his paper. When he spotted her at the top of the staircase she could barely make out a smile on his face across the distance. "Well, good morning Miss Relena. I thought you'd never awaken." He called back to her and she caught a sly chuckle following his statement.   
  
She raced down the stairs, rushing over to his chair. "Pagan, why didn't you wake me? I'm late for the meeting on L2!" He chuckled again at her worried tone. "Don't worry, Miss Relena. I've rescheduled the meeting for you. Besides, I thought you could use a little extra sleep. Especially after all the work you've put in lately."   
  
She sighed...it wasn't the first time Pagan had rescheduled something for her, without consulting her first. She was eighteen now, and legally old enough to make her own decisions for her well-being. But she did appreciate the extra sleep, and she knew that her faithful butler was just looking out for her. She smiled slightly, "What time shall it be at now, Pagan?"   
  
"You've enough time to get dressed and have a good breakfast before you need to be at the airport." She turned in the direction of the stairs again, this time walking calmly. "Ok, then I'll be down in a few minutes..." She paused mid-stride to look back at the gray-haired man. "And Pagan?"   
  
"Yes, Miss Relena?" She smiled, "Thank you." She saw his answering smile light up his aging face, and then began moving towards the stairs again.  
  
~*~  
  
Once back in her room, Relena removed her outfit from the hook on her closet door. She laid it gently across her bed and stripped off her nightclothes. She didn't have to worry about peeping toms as high as her room was, and she could dress in complete privacy.  
  
She took her time slipping in the business suit that she had chosen for the trip to L2. The jacket and skirt were deep navy blue, bringing out her eyes. The skirt was fairly short, reaching to about mid-thigh. Under the jacket she wore a simple white tank top, and the outfit was completed with high-heeled black sandals.   
  
She sat herself down at her vanity and set about to fixing her hair and makeup. She quickly had her hair up in a traditional French twist, with small ringlets framing her face. She used mascara along with light eye shadow to accent her eyes. She then applied foundation, light blush, and a sheer pink-tinted gloss to finish her look.   
  
She got up and looked at herself in the full-length mirror on her closet door, making sure she was fit for a diplomatic meeting. The reflection she saw was quite different from the girl she used to be only a couple years ago. It was like she had undergone a transformation. She was slightly taller, with a more womanly shape. Her face was more mature, and her whole stature gave away her aristocratic background and elegant nature.  
  
She had many suitors, all clambering for the chance to marry the former Queen of the World. Some had been sincere, however. But she had never loved them back, she just couldn't. Not after...well, not after Heero. Her heart began to ache with just the thought of him. His last words to her...was that really two years ago? She remembered it like it was yesterday.   
  
No matter how much she had tried to repress the memories of that day, and the pain that had manifested itself in her soul, it was still so clear. The explosion still pulsed through her ears and blinded her eyes. As if from far away, she could still hear her tormented screams, calling out to the one she loved. And most of all, she remembered Heero, and way he had so gently and sincerely said, "I love you" before the explosion had ripped him from her forever.  
  
Those three words had taunted her almost everyday for two long years. They stood for everything precious to her that she had lost that day in space. Everything that she longed for, but would never have. All the love and happiness that she would never quite grasp, and all the wishes that would be left unfulfilled.   
  
But she never regretted living when he hadn't...he had told her not to regret anything. And no matter how much it hurt, she knew that if he hadn't died, the peace they now knew might not have existed. So she waited until it was her time, when the Earth Sphere no longer needed her guidance, and then she could be with Heero once again.   
  
The explosion and consequent death of Heero had heralded the end of the war, for it was only after the fact of losing their greatest hero that the people realized just how pointless all the fighting had been. And Relena had only lived to see the people come to their senses because Heero had told her she must, for the sake of the earth and colonies.   
  
If he hadn't, she would have died that day alongside him in the brilliant flash of light so bright it had been seen in the night sky of earth. So she kept a promise to him and herself, a solemn vow that she would live out each day and uphold the pursuit of true peace. And as time wore on, her job had become increasingly easier.   
  
During the past two years after Heero's death and the end of the war, the people of earth and the colonies had finally come to understand that peace was a precious gift. And every person, young and old, shared in that gift, not letting it go. So now her job consisted of attending diplomatic meetings out of courtesy, and not of extinguishing the fires of rebellion.   
  
It was a great feeling, knowing that she'd somehow made a difference in her young life. If only Heero could have seen the way peace had thrived in the past years. If only he could have shared in what his dedication and lost humanity had won. If only he could have known that all the blood staining his hands hadn't been in vain. Peace was finally here, if only he could see it. If only...  
  
"Miss Relena! We must go now if you're going to catch that shuttle!" The voice of Pagan shouting up the stairs made her jump in surprise. Startled out of her thoughts, she realized that she'd taken much more time dressing than she'd planned. She quickly moved to her desk and gathered together the documents and reports she would need for the meeting, straightened them out, and shoved them into her sleek briefcase.   
  
She was soon down the stairs, grabbing a breakfast bar as she ran through the kitchen and out the door, and climbing into her waiting silver limo (she's grown out of the pink stage by now...). After she was settled, Pagan got into the driver's seat and started up the engine. They drove down the long road that was her driveway and exited the main gates, turning left in the direction of the shuttle port.   
  
~*~  
  
"Alright, Miss Relena, have a safe trip. I'll be here to pick you up early tomorrow morning." Relena nodded got out of the limo. Pagan stood there, holding the door open for her. She smiled, "Ok, thanks Pagan." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He grinned and ushered her off with his free hand, "Go now or you'll be late." He was more like a grandfather to her than anything. "Don't worry, Pagan. I'll make it." She said and then headed off towards the shuttle waiting on the tarmac.   
  
She calmly walked up the small flight of stairs and turned around to wave goodbye to Pagan before getting on the shuttle. Once inside, she searched for her first-class seat. Finding it, she put her brief case into the overhead compartment. She then settled into the cushions with a sigh, preparing herself for the long trip out to L2.   
  
~*~  
  
Ok, that's the end of the first part, the second and last part will be up shortly! Thanx again for reading!  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Reunited, part 2/2  
By: volleychick08  
  
Ok, here's the last part of Reunited, my sequel to No Regrets. Enjoy! ^.~  
Disclaimers: not mine, k?  
  
~*~  
  
Relena's gaze shifted about the stuffy reception hall, unconsciously searching for a tell tale mop of unruly brown hair obscuring a pair of cobalt blue eyes. But then, like so many times before, she remembered with fresh pain that he was gone. She quickly swallowed the lump forming in her throat and tried to concentrate once again on the speaker's words.  
  
"And so now, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we can call this meeting to a close. Thank you all for attending." The speaker bowed and Relena joined in the applause half-heartedly. She sighed and stood from her seat, gathering her notes and papers into her briefcase. She then joined the crowd of diplomats and Preventer representatives exiting the room through the double doors.   
  
As she filed out of the large building with the others, she bumped into a passer-by on the sidewalk. Her briefcase flew from her hand, hitting the pavement with enough force to send papers flying. The stranger she'd collided with bent down to help her gather the fluttering sheets before the breeze took them away.   
  
They soon had them in hand, and Relena looked up for the first time to thank the person for staying to help. The stranger looked up at the same time, about to apologize. Relena's mouth hung open in shock when she saw who was crouched just two feet from her. Her mouth quickly changed into a smile and she lunged forward to hug him, almost making him lose his balance. "Duo! What a pleasant surprise! How are you?!"   
  
Her cheerful greeting made Duo laugh and his famous grin widened. He returned her embrace. "Hi there Relena! I'm doing great. Hey, I didn't know you were attending the meeting today! Why didn't you call?" They released each other and stood.   
  
Relena tightened her grip on her briefcase and shrugged. "Well, I wasn't going to be here long, and I figured you were busy and all so..." She said and shrugged again. Duo shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder, "Hilde and I are never to busy to catch up with old friends. Call us anytime, ok?" Relena nodded and returned his infectious grin with one of her own. Suddenly a sharp beeping sound punctuated the air and Duo looked down at a small object on his belt.  
  
"Hilde's paging me. I gotta get back to the garage, Relena. Do you wanna come?" His eyes looked hopeful but Relena shook her head. "No, I'm sorry Duo. I have to catch my shuttle back to earth." He nodded understanding, grin never faltering. "Alright then. But promise you'll call sometime, ok Relena?" She nodded, "Ok Duo, I promise."   
  
He gave her a quick embrace and a smile before turning down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Just before he disappeared from sight, he turned and waved goodbye. When she returned it, he began heading back to the garage again at a slow walk.  
  
She sighed. Seeing Duo had just been the highlight of her week. She hadn't talked to many of her friends for so long, and she realized how much she missed them. When she got back home to earth she would call them, all of them. The friendships she made during the war were too precious to let them fade and whither away.  
  
With that new resolution, she suddenly became eager to get back so she could contact them. She couldn't wait to talk with her old friends, to see how their lives had been going. She put her hand into the air and within seconds a yellow taxi pulled up at the curb. She climbed in, her smile still radiating. "To the space port, please." She said and the driver nodded.   
  
He took off from the curb, throwing Relena back into the seat and painfully jarring her neck. Her smile quickly disappeared and then she saw what speed they were traveling at. She gasped in horror as the car shot past stop signs and other vehicles, barely missing collision. Only then did she notice the scent of alcohol that hung heavily in the cab. That was when she became truly afraid.   
  
A split-second later the driver sped through one stoplight too many. He slammed on the breaks in a futile attempt to avoid the oncoming collision, but the car's forward motion hardly altered. Relena heard the screeching of the tires and tried to somehow brace herself for the impact. Why didn't the backseat have any freaking seatbelts??!!   
  
As the taxi slammed brutally into the other car, all Relena could register was the shattering of glass and the wailing of twisting metal, along with her own screams, which echoed harshly as she fell into blackness.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly whirled around, facing the direction he had come from. What was that sound? A car accident?! A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach suddenly made him feel nauseous with a foreboding sense of fear. Relena! He took off running at breakneck speed, praying that his gut feeling was wrong.  
  
As he came upon the scene of the crash, he saw people running back and forth, many in a state of panic. He found where the main concentration of people were gathered and ran to them. He parted his way through the crowd and his stomach sank even further at what he saw.   
  
A taxicab and another gray vehicle had collided, viciously twisting their frames into almost unrecognizable piles of scrap. They had both wrapped around a stoplight pole, furthering the damage. Duo turned and told the person standing next to him to call for an ambulance immediately. The young man nodded shakily and took off, and Duo wished him and the paramedics the best possible speed.  
  
Although it was risky, Duo knew they had to somehow get the victims out of the vehicles. The possibility of leaking fuel and an explosion was too great, and it was best to try and remove them as soon as possible.   
  
He was suddenly very grateful for the medical course he had taken during the war, and he called for anyone else with medical training to come forward to help. Three others from the crowd stepped up, two men and a young woman. He directed the young woman to assist him with the taxi and pointed the two men towards the gray car.   
  
Then Duo knelt down next to the passenger compartment of the cab, praying to God that he wouldn't find what he feared, hoping she had taken some other taxi and was safe at the shuttle port. He held his breath and peered in the window.   
  
A girl lay still in the back seat, already covered in blood. Duo's heart skipped a beat...it was Relena. 'No! Damn it!' Duo thought as he began yanking on the door handle, trying to get it open. It wouldn't budge. His mind raced, becoming more desperate with each passing second. He had to get her out, she was dying.   
  
Then an idea came to him. He put his foot against the body of the car to brace himself and pulled back as hard as he could on the door handle. The car moaned as the door came off its hinges. Duo fell backwards and the door landed on top of him. He shoved it aside and clambered back to his feet.  
  
He put the top half of his body inside the back seat, reaching out towards Relena. He placed the first two fingers of his right hand on her neck, just below her jaw. He held his breath again. The faintest heartbeat reached his fingers, and his lungs emptied in a rush. He wasn't too late.  
  
He gently braced her head with his hand, and slid his other arm under her knees. Then with the utmost care he slowly pulled her limp body from the car. Once she was free from the twisted metal coffin, he cautiously set her down on the paved road, about ten feet from the wreck.   
  
Then he looked back, just in time to see the young women pulling another body from the driver's seat of the cab. She took off her jacket and covered his head with it. She lifted her eyes and met Duo's gaze, shaking her head sadly. Duo nodded, and then turned his attention back to Relena.   
  
Her skin was pale, and everywhere was smeared with blood. Even some of her hair was crimson, alerting Duo to a probable cut on her head. There was also a growing red stain on her shirt, and as Duo pulled back the flap of her jacket, he saw the cause.   
  
A compound fracture of her rib had broken the skin, and was bleeding profusely. He groaned, this wasn't good. If there was one broken rib, there was bound to be more, and that meant a high chance of internal bleeding.   
  
He quickly shed his jacket and then ripped off his t-shirt, placing it over where the bone had broken through and tried to stem the flow of blood. He shivered in his white undershirt. Where were those damn paramedics? He couldn't do this alone; she needed real medical attention, and fast. The colony's lights were quickly being shut off, and it would soon be dark.   
  
He used one hand to check her pulse again; it was growing weaker. No! He wasn't going to loose her. Her life was still so important to the Earth Sphere, and Duo couldn't stand the thought of losing her as his friend. She didn't live through the entire damned war just to die in a car accident.   
  
"Come on, Relena! Wake up! Don't die on me..." Duo's desperate cries echoed through the silence that fell upon the gathered crowd of people as they looked on helplessly, praying for a miracle.  
  
~*~  
  
Familiar voices rang through her mind as Relena floated in the black empty void. She wished they would just go away, she could see a light up ahead and she was almost there. The voices were just trying to hold her back. She tried once again to forget about them, to keep heading for the light, but something in her couldn't ignore their almost desperate urgency.   
  
She sighed and turned around, away from the brilliant light. She grudgingly headed back towards the voices. What do they want, anyway?  
  
"...elena! Relena! Oh God, Relena wake up! Please God, just open your eyes! Come on Relena, fight!"  
  
Relena's mind slowly surfaced back to consciousness, finally recognizing the voice. There was no need to shout like that. Her eyes fluttered open, and she could somewhat see the face of Duo through her clouded vision. Beyond him were flashing lights and people...all a blur to her unadjusted eyes. She focused on Duo, who was kneeling over her, and wondered why she was lying on the ground.   
  
"That's it, Relena. Just stay awake. Everything's gonna be ok, just hold on." He sounded close to tears, what was he talking about? Her vision slowly cleared, revealing his expression...he wasn't smiling. Something was wrong. Why did he look so worried?   
  
She tried to smile up at him, but a wave of agony pulsed through her body and she breathed in sharply at the sudden pain. Her breath caught in her throat and she went into a fit of coughing, feeling knives stab her chest every time.   
  
She felt something warm pool at the back of her throat, and as she coughed one final time, it went splattering everywhere. Relena saw the small red dots that landed on Duo's face, and knew that the warm liquid had been blood. Her blood. Her eyes went wide with shock and fear, like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi truck.   
  
"D-Duo...wha-what h-happened? I-I...I feel l-like hell." She said trying to ignore how much pain speaking caused her, afraid of how weak her voice sounded. A small, sad smile fell briefly across Duo's lips. But it never reached his eyes.   
  
There was something about his face, something in his eyes that scared her. Something that scared the shit out of her. Why was he taking so long to answer her? Why wouldn't he say something?! She opened her mouth again, "Duo..." He held up his hand to silence her. It was covered in blood. Was that her blood, too? There was so much of it...  
  
"You were in a car accident, Relena. The police are here and the paramedics are on their way. Don't waste your strength with talking." As bits and pieces of what had happened filtered back into her memory, another wave of pain hit her, and her back arched off the ground in agony.   
  
"Everything'll be fine, just hang on." She heard Duo say, as if from a distance. She opened her eyes again as the pain passed. She looked up at Duo. Why was he crying? Everything would be fine, just like he said.   
  
She shifted her eyes away from her friend; she couldn't stand the site of Duo crying. At the farthest limit of her vision she caught site of a mangled yellow mass of metal, twisted around another gray one. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the streetlamps, but it looked like both had collided with the unyielding steel of the traffic light pole. Relena pitied the poor person who got caught in such a catastrophe.   
  
Wait, hadn't Duo said she'd been in a car accident? Recognition hit her. That yellow pile of scrap metal was the taxi she'd been in. There were people standing all around, obscuring her view, but she could make out a figure on the ground near the taxi, its face covered with someone's jacket. The driver? It had to be. She could see nothing of the people from the other vehicle, but she hoped they were all right.  
  
Then she felt something warm and gooey spread underneath her fingertips. She didn't have to see to know what it was, but she still brought her hand up in front of her eyes. It wasn't just her fingers, but her whole palm that was stained crimson with the thick liquid.   
  
She could hold her hand up for no more than a few seconds before the muscles became too tired to support it. It dropped limply to her chest, the blood mingling with what had already saturated her white shirt. She coughed again, feeling dagger-like pain spread through her torso, and sending more blood flying.   
  
She looked back at Duo, seeing the tears that now flowed profusely down his cheeks. "D-Don't cry, Duo." She said in a hoarse whisper. The world around her began to fade, and the pain started to diminish with it. "See, Duo? Everything'll...be f-fine. The pain is al-already going away." She said and sighed with relief at being released from most of the agony. Duo's eyes went wide. "No, Relena! Come back, you can't leave! Damn it, Relena! Just hang on!"   
  
Now, just what was it that Duo was complaining about? The pain was going away, wasn't that a good thing? Certainly not something he should be yelling about. "Relena?!" She heard him yelling again, but he sounded so far away this time.   
  
Then the feeling of someone slapping her across the face brought her mind back from the blackness she'd been slipping into, and back to logical thought. She opened her eyes and saw Duo once again. But this time she realized why Duo had looked so sad, why he was crying. She was dying...that's what she had seen in his eyes.   
  
"Duo, d-don't worry. Th-things will t-turn out f-f-fine." She felt so tired...   
  
"No, Relena. Don't die, you can't! The Earth Sphere still needs you. Please hang on." She smiled, "No Duo. They don't n-need me any-anymore. P-people have finally figured out w-what peace is. I-I don't think th-that they'll let it go an-anytime soon."   
  
Duo looked defeated. "But..." She cut him off, "Please...I j-just want to rest. I feel so tired." Duo wiped away his tears, streaking blood across his face. He nodded and took her hand, holding it gently in his, "Go ahead, Relena. You deserve a good rest."   
  
She sighed and smiled up at him. She no longer felt the pain; just an invisible force pulling her, telling her it was time. She mouthed a 'Thank you' and relaxed her neck, letting her head sink back onto the pavement. And just as she closed her eyes for the last time, she felt another presence appear beside her. She was no longer afraid.  
  
~*~  
  
The first thing Relena felt was the warmth spreading through her body. And then a sense of security and fulfillment washed over her. She opened her eyes and smiled. "Heero..." He smiled back at her and held out his hand. He helped her up off of the pavement and she looked back to where she had been laying.   
  
What she saw made her smile disappear. Duo knelt over the still form of a girl with honey blonde hair. Her clothes were blood-soaked and her body appeared battered and bruised. Her hair was spread about her head, most of it in dirt and blood caked knots, mats and tangles. Some stray stands fluttered in the slight breeze, but that was the only movement that came from her young form. Relena recognized the girl as herself.  
  
Duo leaned forward to kiss the girl's cheek before taking his jacket and gently covering her face. He then sat back and released the tears, sobbing quietly. The sight of the grieving Duo broke Relena's heart. A solitary tear made its way down her cheek. She gazed at her old friend for a moment longer before turning back to Heero.   
  
He stepped closer to her, "You've done well, Relena. The people of the Earth Sphere can live out their lives now with a true understanding of peace and just how fruitless wars are. They will survive without your guidance."   
  
He reached out with his strong arms to embrace her. She tightened hers around his waist and returned the embrace. She looked up and their eyes locked. "So I can be with you now, Heero?" She said, hope filling her words. He nodded and she sighed, a happy little smile lighting her features. It was like in her dreams; only she would never have to wake up from it.  
  
"I love you, Heero...I've missed you."   
  
"I love you, too, Relena. And I've been waiting for you..."  
  
She leaned up and placed her lips on his. And as they shared their first kiss, a brilliant light enveloped them, and they disappeared. Soon after, a new star appeared in the sky, burning brightly with their love for all eternity.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo sighed as he placed a single white rose at the base of the statue.   
  
The memorial service that had followed Relena's funeral had been beautiful. Trowa and Quatre had even played her favorite song with their instruments.   
  
Many people had attended. So many, in fact, that there had been a line that went past the park gates and around the block. The entire Earth Sphere mourned the loss of one of its greatest leaders. Relena Dorlian.  
  
But it was quiet now; Duo was the last one there. He had stayed the entire day along with the rest of the former Gundam pilots, and he would be the last to leave. He gazed up at the new statue, admiring how the artists had gotten Heero and Relena's likenesses just right.   
  
The new statue had been commissioned and placed at the other end of the park, opposite from the original one that had been made after Heero's death two years ago. But Duo liked this new one better. It had Relena and Heero locked in an eternal embrace, each of them gazing off into the future horizon. The inscription was simple:   
  
~In loving memory of Heero Yuy and Relena Dorlian, two of humanity's greatest children. May they rest in peace, together in heaven.~  
  
Duo shifted his eyes to the sky, taking in the beauty of outer space. He stopped and held his gaze on one star in particular, admiring the way it seemed to glow brighter than the ones around it. He smiled and looked back at the statue. "Take care of her, Heero." He said in a barely audible whisper before turning on his heel and leaving the park.  
  
  
~*~  
  
Ok, that's it! It's over! What did ya think? Please review! Thanx again, later! ^.~  



End file.
